Vacuum cleaner and dust receptacle therefor

ABSTRACT

In an air permeable dust receptacle having an inlet for flowing thereto dust-laden air, an imperforate plate is fixed thereto at a region removed from the inlet which closes the opening of a space in a vacuum cleaner in which the dust receptacle is held.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,802,166 Mattsson 1 Apr. 9, 1974 VACUUM CLEANER AND DUST RECEPTACLE THEREFOR [5 6] References Cited [75] Inventor: B0 Gunnar Mattsson, Sollentuna, UNlTED STATES PATENTS Sweden 2,539,257 1/1951 Limberg 15/327 E 2,752,002 6 1956 W' (1 2 9 1 1 Assisneel Aktiebolaget Electmhlx Stockholm 3,023,447 3/1962 Se rfne .1 53 3 32 Sweden 3,066,345 12/1962 Kasper 55/376 I 3,233,392 2/1966 Owenmark et a1. 55/357 [22] Wed 1971 3,283,355 11/1966 Jepson 15/327 R [21] Appl. No.2 209,244

Primary Examiner-Bernard Nozick Foreign Application Priority Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edmund A. Fenander Dec. 22, 1970 Sweden 17394/70 57 ABSTRACT A In an air permeable dust receptacle having an inlet for [52] CL 55/381 15/327 7 flowing thereto dust-laden air, an imperforate plate is [51] Int Cl Bold 46/02 fixed thereto at a region removed from the inlet which 581 Field o t 3135513:13:31:13: 55/361-38l the Opening a Space Vacuum cleaner 55/467, 470, 471, 472; 229/53 66; 16/327 which the dust receptacle is held.

A, 327 E, 327 R 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures VACUUM CLEANER AND DUST RECEPTACLE THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention Disposable vacuum cleaner dust receptacles usually comprise a bag which may be formed of paper and an end cover formed of cardboard, for example, having an opening into which a tubular member can be inserted for flowing dust-laden air into the paper bag.

2. Description of the Prior Art It has been the practice heretofore to employ such disposable dust collecting receptacles for vacuum cleaners which are inserted into and removed from spaces having access openings closed by covers forming a part of the cleaner casings. The covers usually include the tubular member referred to above and are hinged and provided with latches and sealing gaskets which adds to the cost of fabricating the vacuum cleaners. With such conventional construction it is necessary to remove the suction hose from a cover and unlatch the cover to gain accessto the space in which the dust collector is positioned to replace the latter, which is objectionable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of my invention to provide an improved vacuum cleaner and a dust collecting receptacle therefor which is characterized by the absence of a conventional hinged cover for closing the space in which the dust receptacle is positioned and gaining access thereto when necessary. I accomplish this by providing a vacuum cleaner having a space adapted to receive a dust receptacle and has an opening affording access therein and an air inlet removed from such opening through which air is drawn into the space by air moving means during normal operation of the cleaner. The dust receptacle is permeable to air and has an opening which is in communication with the inlet when the receptacle is disposed in the space. An imperforate plate is mounted on the dust receptacle and closes the opening of the dust receptacle space. The imperforate plate is drawn against a wall part at the opening of the dust receptacle space responsive to the suction or subatmospheric pressure produced in the dust receptacle by the motor-fan unit of the vacuum cleaner during normal operation thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the suction cleaner which I have shown embodying my invention comprises an elongated casing provided with a handle 11 and wheels 12 to facilitate movement thereof on a supporting surface, the wheels being disposed at the rear end of the casing at opposing sides thereof.

The casing 10 is provided with a vertical partition 14 and a horizontal partition 15 to divide the easing into a vertically extending space I6 and horizontally extending spaces 17 and 18. The vertically extending space 16, which is defined by the right-hand part of casing 10 and the top and bottom sections 14a and 14b of the vertical partition 14, is provided with a top wall 19 having an opening 20 affording access into the space 16 for inserting into and removing therefrom a dust receptacle 21.

The right-hand end of the casing 10 is formed with an inlet 22 for flowing dirt-laden air into the dust receptacle 21 in a manner that will be described presently. A suction hose (not shown) is adapted to be removably connected to the inlet 22. Suitable cleaning tools may be connected to a wand which in turn is connected to the outer free end of the suction hose and through which air flows through the inlet 22 by a motor-fan unit 23 disposed in the left-hand part of the casing 10.

The motor-fan unit 23 is connected in an electrical circuit having a switch (not shown) provided with a manually operable control member 24 at the top of the casing 10 at the vicinity of the space 18. Dirt entrained in air drawn into the inlet 22 is separated from air when it passes through the dust receptacle 2], and air from which dirt has been removed flows from the space 16 through an opening 25 in the bottom vertical partition section 14b into the bottom horizontal space 17. If desired, the opening 25 may be provided with screen 25'.

The motor-fan unit 23 includes a centrifugal fan 26 carried at the lower end of an electric motor 27. The horizontal partition 15 is provided with an opening in which the motor-fan unit is resiliently mounted at 28 in any suitable manner. Air free of dirt and flowing into the bottom horizontal space 17 passes into the inlet 29 of the fan 26. All of the air flows through the motor 27 to effect cooling thereof, such air passing from the motor at 30 and flowing upward from the horizontal space 18 through an open grille 311 which is at the top of the casing 10 and defines the outlet of the cleaner.

In accordance with my invention the dust receptacle 21 includes an imperforate plate 32 which serves as an airtight closure member for the opening 20 in the top wall 19 of the casing when the receptacle is disposed in the space 16. In its operating position in the space 16 an opening 33 in the receptacle 21 is arranged to receive dust-laden air from a tube 34, the outer end of which defines the air inlet 22 of the vacuum cleaner.

The receptacle 21 comprises a pleated expansible and contractible bag 35 formed of air permeable material like paper, for example. The imperforate plate 32, which is fixed at 36 to the open. end of the bag, is formed from suitable sheet-like material like cardboard and plastic, for example, which is generally stiff and yet The imperforate plate 32 and second plate 37 are in abutting relation and can be mounted on the bag 35 in any suitable manner so that they will be angularly movable with respect to one another. The dust receptacle 2], which is of a disposable type, can be manipulated to prevent dust escaping therefrom when removed from the space 16. This can be accomplished by folding the imperforate plate 32 and second plate 37 against one another.

The space 16 is provided with a transverse partition 38 which depends downward from the top wall 19 of the casing and extends between the side walls 39 of the space. Ribs 40 are fixed to the side walls 39, such ribs being spaced from the partition 38 to fonn vertically extending guideways or grooves 41 to receive the opposing peripheral edges 42 of the second plate 37 when the latter is moved downward in the space to bring the opening 33 therein in communication with the tube 34.

The imperforate plate 32 serves as a stop to limit downward movement of the second plate 37 in the elongated grooves 41 so that the opening 33 therein will be in alignment with the tube 34. When this occurs the imperforate plate 32 is in such a position that the peripheral edges thereof seat in a recess 43 formed in the top wall 19 at the opening therein. A gasket 44 formed of foamed plastic or rubber, for example, can be provided in the recess 43 so that the imperforate plate 32 will be in airtight sealing relation with top wall 19 at the opening 20 therein. Also, the inner end of the tube 34 can be provided with a sealing ring 45 formed of foamed plastic or rubber, for example, to provide an airtight seal between the inner end of the tube 34 and second plate 37 of the receptacle 21 at the opening 33 therein.

The imperforate plate 32 is drawn against the gasket 44 in airtight sealing relation therewith responsive to the suction or sub-atmospheric pressure produced in the bag 35 of the dust receptacle 2] by the motor-fan unit 23 during normal operation of the vacuum cleaner.

It will now be understood that my improved dust receptacle 21 eliminates the need for a conventional cover for the space in the vacuum cleaner in which the dust receptacle is positioned. Since suction hoses are connected to such conventional covers, it will be apparent that in my improved vacuum cleaner it is not necessary to detach the suction hose from the cleaner when it is desired to replace a dust receptacle 21. Further, dust-laden air cannot be drawn in a normal manner into the vacuum cleaner and injure the motor-fan unit 23 when it is started and a dust receptacle 21 inadvertently has not been positioned in the space 16 for the reason that the vacuum cleaner will malfunction and dust-laden air will not be drawn through the suction hose from the cleaning tool connected thereto. Ambient air, instead, will be drawn into the space 16 through the opening 20 by the motor-fan unit 23.

I claim:

1. In combination,

a. a vacuum cleaner including a casing having an air inlet passageway and an air outlet passageway and air moving means for circulating air therethrough during normal operation of the cleaner,

b. said casing including wall structure defining a space having an opening affording access therein,

c. a dust collecting member having an opening through which air is introduced therein, said dust collecting member comprising a collapsible and expansible air permeable receptacle and first and second plates fixed thereto, said receptacle and first and second plates forming an independently movable unitary structure,

d. said first plate being imperforate and said second plate having an opening, the opening through which air is introduced into said dust collecting member including the opening in said second plate,

e. means pivotally connecting said first and second plates whereby said plates are angularly movable toward and from a position in which said plates overlie one another,

f. said air permeable receptacle and said second plate being insertable into said space and removable therefrom through said access opening, and

g. said imperforate plate serving as a closure member for the opening of said space and being drawn into airtight sealing relation therewith responsive to the suction or sub-atmospheric pressure produced in said dust collecting member during normal operation of the cleaner when said receptacle and said second plate are disposed in said space with said second plate at an angle to said first plate and the opening therein in communication with said air inlet passageway.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said wall structure of said casing at the vicinity of the opening therein defines a recess in which said plate seats when drawn into airtight sealing relation with said wall structure at the opening during normal operation of the cleaner.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 which includes sealing means disposed on said wall structure at the opening therein against which said plate is drawn in airtight sealing relation therewith during normal operation of the cleaner.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 which includes means for guiding said second plate in the space whereby the opening in the second plate will be in communication with said air inlet passageway.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said air permeable receptacle is closed at one end and open at the opposite end, said imperforate plate being fixed to said receptacle at the open end thereof, a side wall of said' receptacle having an opening, and said second plate being fixed to said receptacle with the opening therein in register with the opening in said receptacle.

therein. 

1. In combination, a. a vacuum cleaner including a casing having an air inlet passageway and an air outlet passageway and air moving means for circulating air therethrough during normal operation of the cleaner, b. said casing including wall structure defining a space having an opening affording access therein, c. a dust collecting member having an opening through which air is introduced therein, said dust collecting member comprising a collapsible and expansible air permeable receptacle and first and second plates fixed thereto, said receptacle and first and second plates forming an independently movable unitary structure, d. said first plate being imperforate and said second plate having an opening, the opening through which air is introduced into said dust collecting member including the opening in said second plate, e. means pivotally connecting said first and second plates whereby said plates are angularly movable toward and from a position in which said plates overlie one another, f. said air permeable receptacle and said second plate being insertable into said space and removable therefrom through said access opening, and g. said imperforate plate serving as a closure member for the opening of said space and being drawn into airtight sealing relation therewith responsive to the suction or sub-atmospheric pressure produced in said dust collecting member during normal operation of the cleaner when said receptacle and said second plate are disposed in said space with said second plate at an angle to said first plate and the opening therein in communication with said air inlet passageway.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said wall structure of said casing at the vicinity of the opening therein defines a recess in which said plate seats when drawn into airtight sealing relation with said Wall structure at the opening during normal operation of the cleaner.
 3. The combination set forth in claim 1 which includes sealing means disposed on said wall structure at the opening therein against which said plate is drawn in airtight sealing relation therewith during normal operation of the cleaner.
 4. The combination set forth in claim 1 which includes means for guiding said second plate in the space whereby the opening in the second plate will be in communication with said air inlet passageway.
 5. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said air permeable receptacle is closed at one end and open at the opposite end, said imperforate plate being fixed to said receptacle at the open end thereof, a side wall of said receptacle having an opening, and said second plate being fixed to said receptacle with the opening therein in register with the opening in said receptacle.
 6. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said guiding means provide elongated grooves which receive opposing peripheral edges of said second plate and in which said second plate is movable.
 7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which said imperforate plate serves as a stop to limit movement of said second plate in said grooves, whereby the opening in said second plate will be in communication with said air inlet passageway when said imperforate plate physically contacts said wall structure at the opening therein. 